COFEIN — Restaurant in Cambridge

A nice spot on Chesterton Road - great for stopping between other events in town.

First, my positives. The owner was very friendly: explained the history of the cafe, how they started it, this was great. The coffee was pretty good, can't complain, perhaps not quite as strong as I like but that's a style choice. There was power for my laptop, and I was very grateful for that, and water with citrus in it, also very refreshing.

Secondly, the ok thing. The tables are tiny: it's not a place where you have space. I'm sitting in another cafe writing this, and the table I have right now is about double the size. Sure, there's space for a cup of coffee but not much more.

The pistachio cheesecake is a great idea. However, it wasn't a style that impressed me. As others here have mentioned, it's very airy, not dense at all. I like my cheesecake to be weighty, and this is the opposite. If that's your thing, great, but I'm not paying nearly £9 for this air-cream-cheese mix again. The base falls apart and has no structure. The pistachio goo on top is fine, I'd prefer a plate of just that! Give me some real cheese flavour please.

Thirdly, the one thing I really didn't like. The music was doof-doof-doof-doof non-stop. There were two customers in there, myself and one other, and neither was in the mood for nightclubbing! This just isn't the kind of music I want to hear while trying to relax with a coffee. I get that some will, but not me.

So, a mixed bag. Will it become a regular haunt? Probably not, given the location. The coffee needs to be a little more special for that, and the cake just isn't for me even if it promised so much. The owner is great and very friendly, so that may persuade me when I am in the area. I wish them luck with the business!

To respond to the owner: I seemed happy when I left because I was polite about the part I liked, i.e. the excellent reception and the decent coffee. You didn't ask if I liked the cheesecake, so I didn't mention it, and the rest - it's not enough to critique you on the day because I like to have a think before I review, consider my thoughts. The review's not bad, it's just not perfect, and it's on a London-ish scale, perhaps not a Chesterton local scale....

Price is steep, especially for food, but it’s nice to pop by once in a while. 4.5

The famous pistachio cheesecake is airy, not too sweet, and has a nutty crunchy base. Just hope there were small portions.

Flat white is decent. Americano tastes balanced too.

Cheese scone looks so enticing under the dramatic spotlight! I heard it’s fluffy and cheesy (Also made by owner’s wife)

Brunch options are quite expensive for eggs and toast combinations.

Laptop allowed on weekdays :) friendly barista and nice playlist. It’s always heartwarming to see the neighborhood...

Best new brunch spot in Cambridge - even if I do keep calling it coffin… Filled croissants are pretty much faultless, and they’re one of the few places serving sourdough that has enough structure to hold a pile of toppings without the crusts lacerating your mouth. Teas, coffees and some rather decadent sweet treats are all present and very correct. Pistachio cheesecake slices that could probably be used as aircraft chocks are worth a particular mention. It’s a tiny place so gets rather cozy at peak times, but that’s hardly a fault and we’ve still always managed to...